GM, Ford top family cars list

Here’s great news for the U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford: Six of their vehicles dominated the list of the Top 10 Family Cars for 2010 as determined by the editors of the Kelley Blue Book and the Web site kbb.com.

Three of them are Chevrolets — an SUV and two crossover utility vehicles — and three are Fords — one crossover and two sedans, including a gasoline-electric hybrid.

Listed in order of roominess, beginning with the largest (passenger and cargo space combined), this year’s choices are led by the venerable Chevrolet Suburban, the full-size (and then some) SUV from General Motors that was all but given up for dead two years ago when gasoline prices spiked to more than $4 a gallon.

It’s a sweet victory for Chevrolet and Ford after so many years of Japanese domination of consumer-preference lists. In fact, on this roster, there are only three Japanese vehicles, and none of them is a Toyota. The only other Asian vehicle is the Hyundai, from South Korea.

Chevy scored what might be considered a much bigger win over at perennial Japanese-car-loving Consumer Reports, which kicked two Toyotas off its 2010 Top Picks list (the recalled Highlander and RAV4 crossovers) while adding two Chevrolet vehicles — the Traverse and the Silverado full-size pickup.

Overall, CR added six new models to its Top Picks roster for 2010. Besides the two Chevy models, other newcomers are the Nissan Altima, which replaced the Honda Accord as best family sedan; the Mazda5, a versatile microvan with seating for six; the Subaru Forester compact crossover wagon; and the Volkswagen GTI, a sporty version of the compact Golf hatchback.

The list of what CR considers the best all-around vehicles for 2010 also includes another Nissan product, the Infiniti G37 sport sedan; the gas-sipping Toyota Prius (even though it is the subject of a minor recall); and the fanciest Toyota, the Lexus LS 460L extended-length, full-size luxury sedan.

CR’s editors have gotten over some of their anti-American-car sentiment, apparently, but not enough to put one of Ford’s terrific 2010 models on the list of the year’s best.

That’s why the Kelley Blue Book list seems more accurate, at least to me. It’s hard to argue with the inclusion of vehicles such as the Flex, Taurus and Fusion hybrid on the Kelley honor roll.

“If safe, roomy and affordable are the characteristics that qualify a vehicle as a family car, then the American family has never had so many choices,” Kelley said in an announcement of the choices.

Evaluations are based on “such factors as resale value, fuel efficiency, capability and kid-friendliness,” Kelley said. “This year’s list features vehicles in a range of sizes and prices, offering something for a wide variety of families — everything from an SUV that can comfortably accommodate nine passengers to a compact, fuel-efficient wagon capable of taking the road less traveled.”

“While the product landscape in the new-car world seems ever-changing, the vehicle needs of the typical American family remain fairly constant: capable versatility, value, safety and economical factors usually remain top of mind,” said Jack Nerad, executive editorial director at kbb.com.

The Suburban, made in Texas, is an excellent choice to lead the list of family vehicles, based on its sheer capacity — nine people — along with its solid construction, great resale value and Chevy truck quality. By association, the Chevy Tahoe should be considered a member of the list, as well — it’s a Suburban that’s just a little bit shorter.

And you can’t forget the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, which are essentially the same vehicles as the Tahoe and Suburban respectively. Of course, the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV are the same vehicles, as well, just made a bit fancier (with higher prices, of course).

I can’t say enough about the Traverse, but by association its GM clones ought to be on the list as well — the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. These large crossovers seat up to eight people and have the fuel economy and driving characteristics of a V-6-powered midsize sedan.

Then there’s the Equinox, Chevy’s redesigned midsize crossover, which has its GMC clone, as well — the also highly acclaimed Terrain. Surprisingly, the Equinox outscored some heady competition — such as the Toyota Highlander, Ford Escape/Mercury Mariner, Hyundai Santa Fe and Veracruz, and Honda CR-V.

The Odyssey is a great minivan, but it has some terrific competition as well, including the Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan and the Kia Sedona/Hyundai Entourage (near clones with fantastic safety ratings).

It’s hard to fault Kelley for choosing the beautifully redesigned Taurus sedan, but one could argue that the new Buick LaCrosse might be worth a spot on the list as well.

The Flex is Ford’s answer to the Taurus/Acadia/Enclave, but quite a bit boxier. Still, it’s a great choice for a big family, bringing carlike ride and comfort to a large vehicle with plenty of room for kids and stuff.

Subaru redesigned the popular Outback this year, keeping this crossover wagon fresh and palatable for a variety of consumers, including those into outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking and skiing. With its standard all-wheel drive, the Outback is great on sand, rock or snow.

Honda’s new Crosstour brings SUV-like utility to the Accord sedan platform, creating a family hauler that really does ride like a car even though it’s designed to carry a wagonload of cargo.

The Fusion hybrid represents a nice redo of Ford’s midsize sedan, but with the added bonus of great fuel economy provided by the gasoline-electric drive system. Add the Mercury Milan hybrid to the list as well; it’s a near clone of the Fusion.

For sheer economy (both price- and fuelwise), it’s hard to beat the Elantra Touring, a compact wagon that can hold five people and lots of their gear. Did I mention that this is the most affordable vehicle on the Top 10 family-car list? Prices begin at just $15,995 (plus freight). Wow!

With all of these great vehicles on the market — along with many others that could have made the list if it had just been a little bit longer — consumers have plenty of credible choices when looking for family haulers this year.